General Information:
Release Date: June 2018
Price Point: $29.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, K-Mart, Target etc.)
Accessories: None
Official images and text in italics below from Amazon.com:
Intricate Conversion and Accessories
Welcome to the incredible world of Transformers robots. It is a world of high technology, ancient history, and a battle that has spanned the entire galaxy and millions of years. Optimus Prime, leader of the heroic Autobots, battles the tyrant Megatron and his evil Deceptions for the fate of freedom across the universe. There's a Transformers figure for every kid or collector. From big converting action figures to miniature battling robots to figures that change between modes in 1 step, you can team up with Transformers toys to create your own incredible adventures. Whether you're defending Earth with the Autobots, or conquering space with the Deceptions, the action is up to you. Transformers is a world-famous entertainment brand with 30 years of history, blockbuster movies, hit television shows and countless novels and comic books. With Transformers robot toys, you can create your own chapters in this epic, ongoing story. Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. This copy is intended as placeholder text only and is not representative of individual items in the line.
2017 was a milestone in Transformers history. The live action movie series was now ten years old meaning an entire generation of fans had grown up in an era where they had a live action Transformers theatrical film every other year to watch. In 2018 Hasbro launched the "Studio Series", a "Generations"-esque line of figured focused on the live action movies. The series boasts several figures that are made in rough scale with each other using the CAD files from Paramount Pictures as the basis for the design. Part of the idea was also to fill in gaps in previous lines by making characters who had not appeared in the line previously.
In the second live action Transformers film, the Decepticons managed to bring Megatron back to life after his defeat in the first film. Along with new life came a new form. Instead of transforming into a Cybertronian aerial vehicle, he transformed into a Cybertronian tank (which could fly). The first Voyager Class Megatron introduced into the "Studio Series" line is "Revenge of the Fallen" Megatron!
Packaging:
The Voyager Class Studio Series figures are packaged in boxes similar in size to the boxes used for "The Last Knight". The boxes are vertical rectangles with a large window in the front. Instead of the lighter colors of "The Last Knight" boxes, this box takes a more "Generations" style approach, using a black background and a vertical "Transformers" logo to the right. Above that is the "Generations" logo. Reflecting the new, unified approach to the Transformers toy line both Hasbro and Takara Tomy's logos appear on the front of the packaging. Towards the lower part of the box is the logo for the specific film the character comes from. To the left is new package art with blue borders. The packaging also has package art on the side and a large collector number designated to each figure. In Megatron's case he is number 13. The idea is that you can line up all these figures on a shelf to show off the collection numbers. It's a neat idea and has kept me from tossing out the box so far.
The back of the box is mostly red with faded background art (reflecting the insert used as a background for the figure). The figure is shown in both modes calling out a 32 step transformation. A short write up is titled "Forest Fight", referring to Megatron's battle with Optimus Prime in a forest as he protected Sam Witwicky. The bottom of the back shows co-sells including Brawl, Optimus Prime and Starscream. It also calls out the background with a forest scene.
Robot Mode:
Megatron's "Revenge of the Fallen" form felt like a reinterpretation of his body from the first film. He still has a really evil looking head, complete with sharp looking teeth and a "helmet" design that looks like it has horns on the sides (giving him a "devil" like appearance) while also evoking the Decepticon symbol. His body has layers of armor that look almost like bones overlapping machinery underneath (this is most prominent in the "rib" area). His arms look almost like the armor was poured on and solidified, with lots of curves and overlapping shapes. It is a very distinctive look and very appropriate for the main villain of a movie.
In addition to the general design, there are some other elements that also come right from the film's CG model including:
- Megatron's overall posture has him slightly hunched over thanks to the way his back is formed.
- The shoulder armor is asymmetrical. The right side looks like it has large armor curving upward whiel the left shoulder has smaller armor without the spikes sticking up.
- The right forearm doubles as a cannon with a huge claw over it and a blade weapon.
- The left hand features several long, thin, claw-like fingers.
- Each thigh has a curved armor piece over it.
- The legs are mostly made up of Megatron's vehicle mode treads.
- The feet have the treads shaped in a rough "V"shape and the front of each foot splits in the middle to make it look like he has "toes".
Some fans have complained that the design and transformation of this figure causes it to be hollow when viewed from the sides. While this is true, it really does not bother me much since that specific view is not one I use in my displays. During playit really doesn't matter when my focus is more on the weaponry and transformation. I really think the details and sculpt on this figure are fantastic. It looks complex, creepy and cool all at the same time.
Megatron is mostly cast in dark grey plastic with some parts (mostly the legs) in black. This sounds plain, and I guess that is a valid view but to be frank, it is "movie accurate". Megatron has never been particularly colorful in the films, and the grey/black combination seems to be "his thing". To be fair, those were also primary colors on his G1 incarnation, so this is hardly a new thing. That said, there is a good amount of paint on this figure. Gold is used a lot on the torso and legs, filling in small mechanical details. Silver is used on the sides of the legs as well. The cannon in his arm is painted gunmetal grey and his eyes are red. If i were to nit pick, I would say he could use a bit more gold on the cannon arm, but that's really it. He looks fantastic from a deco perspective.
Megatron has nineteen points of articulation. This includes five in the left arm, four in the right and four in each leg (including an ankle tilt). The right forearm is not only a cannon, but he also has a sword blade built in and a "thumb" claw that can move in and out. Swing the blade out from the bottom and the arm winds up looking extra cool (and evil). While he lacks waist articulation, you can still pose him out in cool ways.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
A warning before you attempt the transformation of this figure. During every transformation I have done so far (about six times total while writing this review) the armor on the the knees, thighs and the robot head have popped off. All these parts are held in via small nubs instead of pins or pegs so the slightest pressure tends to send them flying off. By the fourth time I decided to actually just detach these pieces and reattach after the transformation. Your results may vary but I wanted you to be warned.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Push the claw on the right arm in.
- Push the halves of the feet together.
- Extend the knee joint down, straightening out the legs further.
- Push the heel pieces up.
- Swing the thigh armor out.
- Rotate each leg around.
- Swing each grey armor piece on the feet over the threads.
- Swing each robot arm forward at the shoulders.
- Swing the back panel back and unfold the front of the turret and the cannon barrel.
- Pull each leg out to the sides at the hips. This will swing the legs out on a series of hinges.
- Push the fingers on the left hand together.
- Swing the left arm against the back. there is a tab on the arm that fits into a corresponding slot on the torso panel.
- Swing the right arm against the back of the torso panel. Turn the forearm and connect the tab on it into the corresponding slot on the torso panel.
- Push the robot head down and swing the head up.
- Rotate the robot legs at the hips to move the treads forward.
- Push each leg in, connecting the leg/treads to the tabs on the torso panel.
- Swing the thigh armor out so they wind up at the bottom of the tank mode.
- Push the tank turret/cannon section down, swinging it back slightly so the tab on it connects to the corresponding slot on the arm underneath.
- Swing the two "V" shaped panels on the insides of the front treads over the robot head.
Vehicle Mode:
Megatron's "Revenge of the Fallen" tank mode is a creepy and alien looking vehicle, appropriate for the leader of the Decepticons. Sure it has "Earth tank" elements such as treads on the sides, a turret on top with a cannon at the end and armor bits, but that is where the similarities end. The shape of the armor on this tank makes it look almost like some type of armored animal (some renderings of the movie's CG model look almost like a crab on treads). A lot of the armor also looks very jagged such as the panels over the front threads and the ones around the cannon barrel. Even the barrel itself looks a bit extra creepy. Instead of a simple cylinder, the cannon looks like four pylons with claws at the end coming together to form the cannon. I will say this figure's tank mode looks a bit more narrow than the CG model did, but overall the sculpt is solid.
The colors from the robot mode all carry over here, but we get to see a bit more gold and gunmetal grey paint. The gunmetal grey on the back of the turret section in particular looks great. Thanks to the treads being so prominent in this mode, the gold and silver colors on the sides stand out brilliantly.
From a functional standpoint there is not a lot happening here. There are wheels on the bottom of the treads to roll around on. The cannon can also be swung up and down along with the two side guns (which, interestingly did not appear in the film but were on his concept art). However there are no wings that come out to form the "flying tank" mode seen in the film. This is not a big deal to me as that form is not a priority for me.
Final Thoughts:
Voyager Class Megatron is a cool figure with some issues. The sculpt looks fantastic and I like the deco. Unfortunately, the figure relies too much on parts being held onto the figure with small nubs instead of pins or screws. Recommended if you can get the figure for a few dollars off. I would try not to pay full price if possible.
Pros:
- Fantastic sculpt in both modes.
- Good deco.
- Good articulation.
Cons:
- Some parts like the knee armor pop off way too easily.
- Missing the "flying tank" wings.
